Mindspace Investigations Series by Alex Hughes

New short story in the Mindspace Investigations universe (with two bonus short stories in other worlds from author Alex Hughes).Open MindWhen the cops call me in the middle of the night, I know it's bad. One of their own is dead, strangled in her car by a professional killer, and it's up to me, telepath consultant extraordinaire, to pull the rabbit out of my hat and solve the case. Only this time I'm not so sure I can.Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino is breathing down my neck... moreNew short story in the Mindspace Investigations universe (with two bonus short stories in other worlds from author Alex Hughes).Open MindWhen the cops call me in the middle of the night, I know it's bad. One of their own is dead, strangled in her car by a professional killer, and it's up to me, telepath consultant extraordinaire, to pull the rabbit out of my hat and solve the case. Only this time I'm not so sure I can.Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino is breathing down my neck. The dead cop's partner is too. And now, the worst--there was a five-year-old kid in the car, a kid no one can find.Note from the author: "Rabbit Trick" takes place before the events of Clean, so the hero intentionally remains nameless. less

A RUTHLESS KILLER—OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars. My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it... moreA RUTHLESS KILLER—OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars. My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary. Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die. less

Being a telepath, I should have seen the hell I was getting myself into... I used to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the guild. That was before my drug addiction and before they kicked me out. But I'm not a bad guy. Now I help the Atlanta PD solve murders. And even though there are only a few people I call friends, I'd do most anything to keep their trust. So when a judge asks me to help investigate a missing college kid, I'm down for it. No questions asked. No problem... moreBeing a telepath, I should have seen the hell I was getting myself into... I used to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the guild. That was before my drug addiction and before they kicked me out. But I'm not a bad guy. Now I help the Atlanta PD solve murders. And even though there are only a few people I call friends, I'd do most anything to keep their trust. So when a judge asks me to help investigate a missing college kid, I'm down for it. No questions asked. No problem. But in this dark world, things are never easy and a favor is never just a favor. Turns out, politicians don't like being murder suspects. And it's bad to anger someone with more power than you. I thought I had nothing to lose... I was wrong. Includes a preview of Alex Hughes's "Sharp " less

HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.… As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident. And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it... moreHISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.… As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident. And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane. Parts for illegal Tech—the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars sixty years ago—are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all... less

FORESEE NO EVIL. Freelancing for the Atlanta PD isn’t exactly a secure career; my job’s been on the line almost as much as my life. But it’s a paycheck, and it keeps me from falling back into the drug habit. Plus, things are looking up with my sometimes-partner, Cherabino, even if she is still simmering over the telepathic Link I created by accident... moreFORESEE NO EVIL. Freelancing for the Atlanta PD isn’t exactly a secure career; my job’s been on the line almost as much as my life. But it’s a paycheck, and it keeps me from falling back into the drug habit. Plus, things are looking up with my sometimes-partner, Cherabino, even if she is still simmering over the telepathic Link I created by accident. When my ex, Kara, shows up begging for my help, I find myself heading to the last place I ever expected to set foot in again—Guild headquarters—to investigate the death of her uncle. Joining that group was a bad idea the first time. Going back when I’m unwanted is downright dangerous. Luckily, the Guild needs me more than they’re willing to admit. Kara’s uncle was acting strange before he died—crazy strange. In fact, his madness seems to be slowly spreading through the Guild. And when an army of powerful telepaths loses their marbles, suddenly it’s a game of life or death.… less

Nothing ruins a romantic evening like a brawl with lowlifes—especially when one of them later turns up dead and my date, Detective Isabella Cherabino, is the #1 suspect. My history with the Atlanta PD on both sides of the law makes me an unreliable witness, so while Cherabino is suspended, I’m paying my bills by taking an FBI gig... moreNothing ruins a romantic evening like a brawl with lowlifes—especially when one of them later turns up dead and my date, Detective Isabella Cherabino, is the #1 suspect. My history with the Atlanta PD on both sides of the law makes me an unreliable witness, so while Cherabino is suspended, I’m paying my bills by taking an FBI gig. I’ve been hired to play telepathic bodyguard for Tommy, the ten-year-old son of a superior court judge in Savannah presiding over the murder trial of a mob-connected mogul. After an attempt on the kid’s life, the Feds believe he’s been targeted by the businessman’s “associates.” Turns out, Tommy’s a nascent telepath, so I’m trying to help him get a handle on his Ability. But it doesn’t take a mind reader to see that there’s something going on with this kid’s parents that’s stressing him out more than a death threat… less

Good Cop, Bad Cop A prominent journalist has been found dead, a journalist investigating police corruption. I’m supposed to be working in my new P. I. firm, but the money’s not enough so I’m back consulting for the police as a telepath. Turns out this case is a doozy—the journalist was an addict, even worse than I was before I cleaned up my act. But he saved some kids from a sweatshop years ago, and then there’s this corruption thing he’s been looking into, which makes all the cops sweat... moreGood Cop, Bad Cop A prominent journalist has been found dead, a journalist investigating police corruption. I’m supposed to be working in my new P. I. firm, but the money’s not enough so I’m back consulting for the police as a telepath. Turns out this case is a doozy—the journalist was an addict, even worse than I was before I cleaned up my act. But he saved some kids from a sweatshop years ago, and then there’s this corruption thing he’s been looking into, which makes all the cops sweat. The police’s Powers That Be would really, really like for the journalist’s death be an accident—the physical evidence even points in that direction. In Mindspace, however, it’s clearly murder. With increasing pressure on myself and Detective Freeman to drop this case, I’ll have to fight my way through to find the killer. And worse? If it’s one of the cops who did the killing, I don’t know if they’ll get justice, or I’ll get paid. less

Introducing Temper, the first Mindspace Investigation novella from ex-Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino's point of view...Some Clients Test You More Than OthersGetting fired from the DeKalb County P.D. was hard, and starting up a private investigation firm has turned out to be even harder. The bills aren't getting paid, and it doesn't help that my partner the telepath keeps getting called away to work for the police department that dropped me like a bad habit. It makes me sad. And angry... moreIntroducing Temper, the first Mindspace Investigation novella from ex-Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino's point of view...Some Clients Test You More Than OthersGetting fired from the DeKalb County P.D. was hard, and starting up a private investigation firm has turned out to be even harder. The bills aren't getting paid, and it doesn't help that my partner the telepath keeps getting called away to work for the police department that dropped me like a bad habit. It makes me sad. And angry. A whole lot angry. But when a big-time steel mill mogul comes to Mindspace Investigations PI for help finding his blackmailer, I jump at the chance to get justice for someone again.Unfortunately, there's a lot more to this case than meets the eye. Shady union dealings. Ties to the mob. Questionable motives. Lies and half-truths. But we need the money, and I can't afford to be picky about jobs right now. No matter how much I dislike the client.My sensei used to tell me that picking a fight was a bad idea for anyone, but a particularly bad idea for me. I learned that the hard way as a cop. But sometimes you don't get to pick your battles. I just hope this is a fight I can win without crossing too many lines. less